They did foresee the mobile networks suffering and they did add more reception towers, but obviously it hasn't been enough.

I would assume they countries must think they will make the money back in tourism over the time of the Games, regarding the stadiums I don't know about Athens but here sporting clubs are looking to take them over after the Games, for example there are a few football clubs after the new Olympic Stadium.

That sucks about the phone service - I'm actually surprised no one foresaw that enough to maybe make plans to, I dunno, add some more cell towers or something. I'm not very knowledgeable about cells and such so I don't know how they could make the situation any better.

For the financial thing, I honestly don't understand how any country ever agrees to put forth so much money for the Games. I mean, look at the buildings and such from the Athens Olympics - last I heard most of the buildings had been falling into disrepair because of lack of use and there's no money to keep them up.

It all comes down to a desire to show off - the opening ceremony in particular is the biggest opportunity for the host country to impress other countries with their show of extravagance. IMO though, this ceremony was a great deal more subdued than Beijing's.

I have to agree. I know the games are big economical boost and a great honor for any country, but to put so much money into something that may never be used again... seems like it'd have a pretty damaging effect, ultimately.

They did foresee the mobile networks suffering and they did add more reception towers, but obviously it hasn't been enough.

I would assume they countries must think they will make the money back in tourism over the time of the Games, regarding the stadiums I don't know about Athens but here sporting clubs are looking to take them over after the Games, for example there are a few football clubs after the new Olympic Stadium.

As with the transport overload too, it was never going to be enough. We just can't handle so many people in such a small space.

I realise they're hoping to make profit from tourism, but I see that as a risky venture in our economic climate considering they'll need to make back at east £24 billion to cover costs. That's 24 billion more in the red we are as a country right now. The jubilee and now this - I certainly see the Olympics and all it's ceremonious torch tripe as an image building thing more than anything else.

I don't pretend for a second I know about how the country will make the money back, but with how much air travel taxes are I would assume a massive chuck would be made back there.

Regarding the purpose built places, there were only a handful built, the majority of events are being held in places that London (or GB) already has, for example the football is being played all over the country, the tennis at Wimbledon, badminton at Wembley Arena and as I said previously the Olympic Stadium is wanted by some football clubs so it will be used again, as I would assume everything else would be. The build also rejuvenated Stratford, which if you had ever been there before you would know, can only be a good thing.

The economic boom for an area that hosts a major event like Olympics or World Cup are huge. However, there is no avoiding the void after event is complete. One would imagine that every pub, restaurant, grocery store, coffee house, hotel, retail outlet, etc., has hired extra help for the Olympics. How many of these people will be out of work after everything is all gone and cleaned up?

On the news last night they were saying the exact opposite. You'd expect tourist attractions, restaurants etc to be extra busy but the same thing has happened that did in Beijing a few years ago. It's so busy that the people who would normally frequent those places are avoiding it, which has led to admissions being down 30% compared with previous years.

On the news last night they were saying the exact opposite. You'd expect tourist attractions, restaurants etc to be extra busy but the same thing has happened that did in Beijing a few years ago. It's so busy that the people who would normally frequent those places are avoiding it, which has led to admissions being down 30% compared with previous years.[/div]

Huh, that's really very interesting. And completely the opposite of how it was here when we hosted the US Olympics swim trials - the businesses nearby made out like bandits if I'm not mistaken. Would there happen to be a video/article online I could read about that?

Upon reading it, it sounds like a lot of visiting crowds have been displaced by the Olympics - which I suppose begs the question "where did they go?" Is it just that visitors are just watching sports all day, or are they doing their touristy things elsewhere?[/color][/size]